Gaming devices are known which include a number of rotating symbol bearing reels each of which is individually stopped to display a randomly selected symbol along a win line. If the symbols displayed along the win line form a winning combination, a prize is paid out to the player. Standard gaming devices of this type typically employ reels which have one stop position for each symbol on the reel, each stop position having one random number associated with it. To stop a reel in a standard gaming device, a random number is generated and the reel stopped at the stop position associated with the random number.
Multiple stop gaming devices are also known which employ reels having multiple stop positions for many of the symbols on the reel with the highest paying symbols having only one stop position. As in the standard gaming device, each stop position in a multiple stop gaming device has only one random number associated with it. To stop the reel in the multiple stop gaming device, a random number is generated and the reel stopped at the stop position associated with the random number as in the standard gaming device. However, the odds of winning by matching symbols having only one stop in a multiple stop game are less than those in a standard game so that larger prizes may be paid out to the player from a multiple stop gaming device than a standard device.
Virtual reel gaming devices are also known which employ reels typically having one stop position associated with each symbol on the display; however, a number of stop positions have multiple random numbers associated with them. As in the multiple stop gaming device, the odds of winning by matching symbols having only one associated random number in a virtual reel gaming device is less than the odds of winning in a standard gaming device so that larger prizes may be paid out to the player in a virtual reel gaming device than in a standard device.
To provide one game which is played as a standard type game, multiple stop type game or virtual reel type game, gaming device manufacturers must develop different reel stop controls including different software routines for each game type. The software development for the different types of games is extremely costly.